| We
believe that coming to Christ for most people is a process.
In order to help facilitate that process we intentionally seek
to engage people where they are and help them take a step toward
a relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the church
The
first step is to reach out to our community and help them become
part of the crowd. The crowd are those who gather on the weekend
to seek out the claims of Jesus Christ.
GOAL: We encourage and
invite our regular attenders to reach out to their FRAN's --
that's Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors, and invite
them to attend services with them on Sunday mornings.
The
second step is to help the crowd become part of the congregation.
The congregation are those who have chosen to accept Christ
as their personal Lord and Savior.
GOAL: We invite those
who are coming to New Hope to take a step of belonging by becoming
a member of New Hope and join a small group for encouragement
and support.
The
third step is to help the congregation to move toward a deeper
commitment. The committed have made a covenant to develop a
quiet time and steward their resources in a way that honors
God.
GOAL: We invite members
to grow in their faith through Bible Study, Prayer, Spiritual
Disciplines and Stewardship. As we grow in our relationship
to Jesus Christ, we become more like him and are more effective
in our daily life because we live for an eternal purpose.
Step
four is to help the committed become part of the core. The core
are those who make a commitment to serve Christ through the
use of their God given SHAPE. Not only are they growing in Christ
but they are allowing Christ to work through them to serve others.
GOAL: We encourage every
member to explore their Spiritual Gifts, the deep motivations
of their Heart by discovering their passion, their Abilities
through training and natural gifts, their Personality type and
their Experiences. The total of these areas help them find areas
of ministry in which they can be fruitful and fulfilled.
Step
five is teaching the core how to reach out to others and mentor
them through the process. As they share Christ, the opportunity
to move beyond the local church to mission opportunities increase
and the church moves beyond the walls of the building.
GOAL: We train members
in how to share their faith through their unique personality
and encourage them to develop relationships in order to share
their faith and lead others to Jesus Christ. The process continues
as each person takes others through the process to become fully
devoted followers of Christ.
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